Thursday, October 03, 2013

LinkedTogether#334296874H43FG
This is my attempt to reach out further to cyclists that I sell to. This is a random code I created that you can Google and get my email address quickly and easily. I am happy to talk on the phone with potential buyers, just send me your number. Normally, I respond so quickly I catch people off guard.
Cheers,Brazen_Cycle_WorksEric Brandt

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Recently I purchased a new mountain bike for 2 reasons. One, the frame design was old school and evoked a feeling of nostalgia, that I don't often feel. Two, the frame had split stays which would allow the bike to be easily converted to Belt Drive.

The bike is a 2011 Trek- Gary Fisher Sawyer and had some of the worst paint I have seen on a MTB. The paint was a non-descript sad grey and although the bike had seen no dirt, just shop wear, and hanging the bike on bike racks had taken a toll.

Step one was to add a real durable finish and 1 Off Powdercoating came to the rescue. Dale did his typical excellent job, even though with all the curved tubes and strange shapes. I selected Grabber Orange, which is closer to Yellow than Orange. The color reminded me of my first bike which also had curved top tubes and it also reminded me of a original 1970s Honda ATV that used the same color.

Unfortunately, selection of the belt drive components wasn't as smooth. As an experience mechanic I expected very few issues. 1 belt and 2 sprockets. DONE!

Well there are several iterations of Gates Carbon Drive components available. They are not compatible with each other. The naming conventions does allow for clear distinctions when parts shopping, so I don't think DIY applications were a high priority for Gates.

In my quest for components the first thing I noticed is how pricey they are. Plan on spending at least double, what you would for a chain drive equivalent. The online calculators are very useful once you have the chainstay length of the frame you will be using.

One thing that is important but hard to uncover is that most of the current applications are really for a specific marketing segment. Based on the Carbon Drive home page that segment is urban hipsters who wear white and are deathly afraid of chain oil. I am not sure what they use for lubricating their hubs, bottom brackets, and headsets, but I am guessing it is a synthetic version of their own smugness. So if you ride in the city, work in a loft and have a monochromatic lifestyle a belt drive bike is for you!

You will discover in reading the Tech bulletin that if you are riding a Mountain bike or Fixed Gear you will need nearly double the belt tension for proper performance. Okay, no problem, probably a bit more resistance too, but wearing white pants is probably worth it. Wait. Doubling the tension is when you are going from city cruiser with internal hub to the Mountain or Fixed Gear application and are a Lightweight Speedster. If you can figure out what a lightweight speedster is, then good for you. I think that means God gave you thighs that don't generate enough watts to impress anyone... ever. So for normal riders that HAMMER, SPRINT, CLIMB, GENERATE 1000 WATTS, and KICK ASS and ride MTB or FIXED GEARS triple the belt tension. nearly TRIPLE, really. From 35kg to 85kg.

Now your frame flex is coming into play and Gates has a program for OEMs to analyze their rear ends. I am not making that up. It also matters how much belt wrap you have. My selected gear was 39x22 yielding a ratio 1.75, which I though would be perfect for my 29ER SS. I was warned that more belt wrap is required for this application. That means jumping up to 46x26 and a 118 tooth belt instead of 113. Don't worry though because there is an app for that.

Sounds to me like I am back to chain drive for the epic ride this weekend, because I have a lot of belt drive components to sell and then re-buy. So it will be a while before you see me trying to BELT ONE OUT, but I think I might have also avoided an on-trail disaster, on a ride that means so much to me.

Hal passed last year on October 6th but his passion, enthusiasm and
never give up attitude will be carried by those of us who met him.
Undoubtedly, his impact has been and will continue to be felt by those
he has helped. Hal you were a great example of a life well lived.
Oorah!

A special thanks goes out to all my supporters, $452 we
raised on first day, with current total at $552. Keeping the wheels
turning!

Wednesday, May 08, 2013

Specialized Stumpjumper Year 2 1983 1984 Vintage 30 years of MTB History 17"
100% of sale is going to the Marine League Charities, current asking price is $800

This is a farm Fresh Pick that I did a rolling restoration on. The bike is also available for ebay sale and I expect to exceed my $500 goal but prefer to sell it off ebay.

Non original components include Tires, Freewheel, Chain, Bottom Bracket, Rear Derailleur, Thumb shifters, Grips. New components include Grips, Seat, Freewheel and Chain. The bike is in riding condition as it sits today. Here are the historical specs from MOMBAT on this bike.
http://mombat.org/Specialized_Specs.htm

This is going to make a nice addition to someone's collection.
This 17" version has very little rust as a Arizona bike, It has been washed and reconditioned. I did notice the top of seat tube is splayed out somewhat at tips, but 26.6 SR post seems to be in just fine. The right side of the paint has some sun fading and pictures are best way to grade this magnificent ride.

Since this bike was last listed I returned the bike back to a more mid eighties functioning. Grip shift and 7 spd drivetrain were removed. Shimano non indexing thumb-shifters, a new high polish 5spd chain and freewheel were added with Oury style grips. The Gel saddle was replaced with new saddle, but I am open to swaps.

Normally I respond within 5 minutes to BEST OFFERS, please understand that with this item due to the high demand I am likely to let some offers simmer while others are coming in. The bike is also on my blog with more photos. I am always willing to chat with potential buyers and questions and clarifications are always appreciated with vintage bicycles.

Given a bit more time I would polish out the cranks, clean the pedal spindles, clean some overspray off the seatpost, swap in an original bottom bracket. But these are great items for the NEW OWNER to consider as the bike is great as it sits.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

I do get this question a lot, and yes I buy and sell on eBay under that user name. I used to sell much more on ebay, but the fees between Paypal and eBay have gone out of control. It is difficult to pass on really great deals when ebay takes such a generous cut for themselves. I have turned to Craigslist > Phoenix> East Valley to sell which has been nice, but I rarely list items for sale on my blog.

If you see an item I am selling I can make you a very competitive offer, so feel free to email me directly, with your phone number and how I can help. Spammers and scammers don't do this so I will know you are serious. I would be happy to give you a prompt call.

Thursday, March 07, 2013

I was minding my own business today at lunch when I stumbled into a FREE STUFF Craigslist ad that read. Old bikes kids & adults. I looked at the pictures and recognized a early Specialized Stumpjumper and Schwinn Sierra. These are normally snapped up instantly but I emailed first to let the seller know the bike was valuable. Then, I thought maybe she just wanted the bikes gone, so I emailed again that I would pickup the bikes in 15 minutes and bring her $20. My phone rang 10 minutes later. I explained that the bike she had was valuable and I fix and restore bikes and would be willing to fix and sell the bike and we could split the proceeds. She declined but was interested in the 20 bucks. 15 minutes later I was the new owner of a 83/84 Specialized Stumpjumper. The bike wasn't perfect or completely original, but pretty close.

Non original components include Tires, Freewheel, Chain, Rear Derailleur, Thumb shifters, Grips. Here is the specs from MOMBAT on this bike. My Components are BOLDED.